Is helicopter flying more dangerous than fixed wing flight?
Accident rates have typically been higher in helicopters than in comparably purposed airplanes. The reason has less to do with greater mechanical complexity or difficulty of control than with the nature of the helicopter’s operating environment. Routine helicopter operations, such as sightseeing have an excellent safety record, but the utilitarian nature of the helicopter means that it is often called upon in extreme situations and is required to operate in environments that would typically be unsuitable for normal operations. By operating in close proximity to the ground, unseen hazards such as wires and towers can pose significant risks to helicopters that are not experienced by airplanes operating out of carefully constructed airport environments. Likewise, brownouts due to dust or sand and dynamic rollovers due to terrain increase the accident rate of helicopters relative to airplanes. Numerous safety initiatives are underway to improve visual cues to pilots in low visibility condi
Related Questions
- The helicopter manager/fixed wing manager forgot to include a flight leg in a daily invoice, what must I do to amend the invoice to include the missing flight?
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